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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · cabinet · ruler · bulb · scale · drill · net · chip

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. face — to point toward
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. net — for catching
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. face — to confront
  10. bulb — for light
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bulb — for light
  13. scale — in music
  14. drill — the tool
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. net — in sport
  19. face — part of the head
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. scale — size or range

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com